Misty Island Preservation Society Stories
by Derailed
Summary: Misty Island is more than an Island, it's an entire railway of history from several different countries.
1. Misty Island Backstory

Misty Island, so called because of the fact that it is covered in mist until 12.00pm, is an island 9/10th the size of Sodor. It has two Pyrex glass tunnels that run under the sea, and both tunnels are ventilated as well as carrying three "Up" and three "Down" lines, meaning that at any given time, six trains are coming to Sodor or going to Misty Island.

One tunnel connects Misty Island to Tidmouth Harbour and the other connects the other side of Misty Island to Vicarstown Harbour.

There is another means of getting to Sodor or even Britain from Misty Island and that is an eight road Britannia covered tunnel. There are three of them, meaning that at any time there are 12 trains coming and going.

The island was started back in 1895 as an experimental "International Railway". It started with the US, then went to Britain. Next in line was Germany, Sodor and last was Japan before the island became privatized. From 1895-2012, the railway saw and even gained a huge amount of engines.

This was to cover the extensive rail network on the island. There are two main lines, one to carry traffic to Sodor and one to carry traffic to the Mainland. There are several sand quarries, a large logging operation, paper production: several glass mills, plastics mills, rubber factories and quartz mines. During the summer, hundreds of millions flock to the seaside on Misty Island, as it is prime location for fresh steamed lobster, catching a tan and even surfing.

With this railway having the main lines to Sodor and Mainland as well as branch lines to the glass mills, sand quarries, logging operations, paper mills, rubber factories, plastic factories and quartz mines, the railway needed a lot of engines to cover the heavy goods and passenger trains.

The timeline for the island is as recorded by an historian:

American Ownership (1895-1936)

Bash and Dash-Experimental Gypsy Logging Locomotives

Ferdinand-Climax Class C

William-2 truck saddle tank Heisler

Zacharias-3 truck Shay

Matt-NJR 4-4-4 tender engine

Masson-N&W 4-8-0 mastodon tender engine

Preston-PRR E6 4-4-2 tender engine

American/UK ownership (1906-1928)

Prescott-LB&SCR D2 0-4-2 Tender engine

Davis-LB&SCR C1 0-6-0 Tender engine

Roger-LB&SCR B2 4-4-0 Tender engine

Earl-LB&SCR B4 4-4-0 Tender engine

Dawson-LB&SCR C2 0-6-0 Tender engine  
Archie-LB&SCR E4 0-6-2 Tank engine

Turner-LB&SCR H1 4-4-2 Tender engine

Saul-LB&SCR I1 4-4-2 tank engine

Marcus-LB&SCR E2 0-6-0 Tank engine (Short tanks)

Karmille-LB&SCR K Class 2-6-0 tender engine

Eugene-2-6-6-2 Mallet Tank engine

Madison-0-6-0 slope back shunter

Riley-C&O 2-8-0 tender engine

Glenn-Santa Fe 5000 Class 2-10-4 tender engine

Orville-Union Pacific 9000 4-12-2 tender engine

Dylan-PRR S2 steam turbine tender engine (6-8-6 wheel arrangement)

Matthew-PRR CC1 0-8-8-0 mallet tender engine

Hewlett-SP S-10 class 0-6-0 oil burning tender engine

Paul-ATSF 3460 Class streamlined 4-6-4 (Blue Goose) tender engine

Michael-Virginian Railway Class AE 2-10-102 mallet tender engine

United Kingdom Ownership (1937-1965)

Vernin-LBSCR L Class 4-6-4T

June-SR Q1 0-6-0 tender engine #33019

Jordon-GWR 4700 2-8-0 tender engine

Vincent-LNER V2 2-6-2 Tender engine

Hawksly-BR Standard 4 2-6-4 Tank engine

Alexander-S&DJR 7F 2-8-0 Tender engine

Chris-LMS Stainer Class 5 4-6-0 tender engine

Testing period (1938-1942)

John-GWR Cathedral Class 4-6-2 "St. John's Cathedral"

Peter-GWR Cathedral Class 4-6-2 "St. Peters Cathedral"

*Undocumented engines (purely fictional)*

Victoria-GWR Elizabethan Class 4-6-4

Violet-SR Q12 4-10-4 tender engine (square body, same as Q1 0-6-0 tender engine)

WWII Era (1938-1945)

Doreen-GWR 2600 Aberdare Class

Bianca-GWR 2800 2-8-0 Tender engine

Lyons-GWR 7200 2-8-2 Tank engine

Richard-GWR 4200 2-8-0 Tank engine

Speare-GWR 3700 City Class

Nelson-SR Lord Nelson 4-6-0 tender engine

Jake-SR U Class 2-6-0 tender engine

Spitfire-SR Spamcan 34066 "Spitfire" tender engine

Ethaniel-SR Z Class 0-8-0 tank engine

Zach-SR V Schools class 4-4-0 tender engine

McKenzie-LMR Austerity 0-6-0 Saddle tank (Oil burning)

Deutsche Bundesbahn Ownership (1966-1979)

Herman-Prussian T13 0-8-0 tank engine

Rudolf-DRG Class 81 0-8-0 tank engine

Mark-DRB Class 41 2-8-2 tender engine

Felix-DRB Class 50 2-10-0 tender engine

Liesel-DRG Class 64 2-6-2T

Sabrina-DRB Class 52 2-10-0 tender engine

Yvonne-DRB Class 45 2-10-2 tender engine

Simone-DRB Class 42 2-10-0 tender engine

Simon-DB Class 23 2-6-2 tender engine

Gabriel-DRG Class 24 2-6-0 tender engine

Stefan-DRG Class 80 0-6-0 tank engine

Antonia-DB Class 82 0-10-0T

Alexandra-DRG Class 86 2-8-2T

Sylvia-DRG Class 78.0 4-6-4T

Klaus-DRG Class 95 2-10-2T

Ludwig-DB Class 66 2-6-4T

Zacharias-DRG Class 43 2-10-0 tender engine

DB/NWR ownership (1980-1995)

No new engines

NWR Ownership (1996-2005)

No new engines

Japanese Railway Ownership (2006-2011)

Shiro-JNR Class C60 4-6-4 tender engine

Kojiro-JNR E10 2-10-4T

Chinatsu-JNR C61 4-6-4 tender engine

Takashi-JNR D50 2-8-2 tender engine

Okami-JNR D60 2-8-4 tender engine

Tsukasa-JNR C58 2-6-2 tender engine

Sayuri-JNR C56 2-6-0 tender

Noriko-JNR C12 2-6-2T

Katsumi-JNR C10 2-6-4T

Yoshika-JGR 5500 4-4-0 tender engine

Mikoto-JGR 860 2-4-2T

Shizuka-JNR 9600 2-8-0 tender engine

Privatized (2012-present day)

Jeremy-LMS Jinty 0-6-0T

Allen-GWR 5600 0-6-2T

Darryl-BR Standard class 5 4-6-0 tender engine

Harry-SR Rebuilt Merchant Navy "Clan Line" 4-6-2 tender engine

Darren-BR Class 08 0-6-0 Diesel shunter

Brighton-LBSCR "Terrier" Brighton Works 0-6-0T

Marvin-GWR Saint class 4-6-0 tender engine

Minerva-LNER P2 2-8-2 tender engine

Granger-Deltic diesel

Natalia-USSR FD 2-10-2 tender engine

Henderson-GWR City Class 4-4-0 tender engine 3704 "Lyttelton"

Birmingham-GWR City Class 4-4-0 tender engine 3711 "City of Birmingham"

Maximilian-GWR Steam Rail Motor (Diagram R build)

The engines have been around the world and have seen it all as well as having done most of the idiotic young engine things.

With the manager wanting to add three more engines, things were bound to get a little rowdy, but that's another story.


	2. A Perfect Misunderstanding

A perfect Misunderstanding

There are two ways an engine can proceed. The first way is by signals worked by signalmen. On Misty Island, signalmen are very respected people, as well as flagmen. The Flagman is the other way that engines can move. A man stands out where a failed signal is with red and green flags, or sometimes yellow, red and green flags to direct the engines to move safely.

However, there are occasions where a flagman has forgotten his flags and has to use hand signals. While it wasn't the most efficient way to move trains, it was still safer than taking a flagless man's word.

Early one June morning, Kojiro, the 2-10-4 Japanese tank engine was waiting at the head of a fruit and vegetable train bound for Vicarstown Harbour, where he was to hand it over to Caitlin and bring back an empty well wagon train.

As he simmered contentedly, Natalia steamed in with an express fitted mixed goods train.

"Good Morning," she called over to the large tank engine.

"Morning, Madam Natalia," Kojiro puffed.

As Natalia's brake-van stopped moving, showing that Natalia had brought her train to a safe stop, the points clanked over and Kojiro's starting signal dropped, signifying that the road was clear for him to have a clear and fast run.

"This will make for a fast day," his driver commented.

Kojiro agreed and they sped onwards to Vicarstown Harbour. The green countryside gave him a sense of being at peace. He was so content that he forgot to pay attention to the road ahead and when he found himself coming to a sharp stop at a station, his eyes popped open to see an unlit signal, level crossing barriers in the down position and a flagman holding a red flag.

"What now," he called to his driver.

"A 'Dead' signal and a flagman," came the reply.

The large Japanese tank engine sighed. Soon the flagman walked up towards his cab, where his driver was leaning out of the cab.

"What's going on?" the driver called.

"The signal failed, and because this signal and the level crossing gates are interlocked, everything's failed safe," the flagman explained. "This box is going to have a flagman until this signal is mended. All trains to Vicarstown Harbour are to be flagged to the next box, where you can make up time. All the managers and heads of the railways have been warned as well as passengers."

Kojiro overheard the whole conversation.

"Passengers won't like this," he muttered.

Soon, he was given the green flag when the signalman called to the flagman that the road was cleared. Kojiro's driver opened the regulator and he puffed carefully onto the next block. Once in that block, the signalman there sent the bell code to the signalman of the failed signal that Kojiro arrived safely.

When he arrived at Vicarstown Harbour, he was fifteen minutes late.

"What kept you?" Caitlin demanded. "Sheep? Overgrown Vegetation? An invisible set of buffers? Or perhaps you got diverted into an empty siding and slept?"

"No, a failed signal," came the blunt reply. "Trains coming here from Misty Island are going to be flagged carefully through before we can hurry onwards. Passengers won't like this."

And he was right. As Kojiro headed back with 42 empty well wagons, he noticed that Birmingham was waiting with a fifteen coach express train heading towards Tidmouth.

"Bloomin' signal had to fail," she complained. "I don't like making my passengers wait."

"Safety comes first," Kojiro reminded her.

The City Class glowered at the E10 tank engine, who crawled through with his train. Once the brake-van cleared and the box behind the failed signal box belled to the signalman there and soon Birmingham was on her way.

Passengers complained of delays, but the management told them that they couldn't have trains run without signals.

That night in the sheds, the others were complaining.

"These managers are taking a liberty by delaying our trains," Yvonne groaned.

Several others agreed, but Alexander, the S&DJR 7F disagreed.

"If a flagman wasn't there or he didn't have his flags, then there'd be accidents then there'd be even more delays and there would also be injuries. Passengers would be even more cross," he explained.

The rest of the engines agreed with him.

The next day, Okami was taking a heavy goods up to Crovan's Gate. The large engine was working hard, so her wolf like deep bark was deeper and in greater quantities, meaning it sounded like a pack of wolves barking.

As the Japanese built Berkshire made her way towards the failed signal, she noticed that there was no flagman or anyone there to signal trains through.

"It's not safe," her driver called and brought the train to a stop.

The signalman came out when he saw Okami stop.

"Sorry about this, but the flagman on duty decided to step to the pub and now he's home, passed out and drunk. I've called a relief and he'll be here in twenty minutes. I can flag you through and make sure you arrive safely," he said.

Okami's driver agreed and soon, she was flagged through and on her way. After her brake-van disappeared, the relief arrived. However, he was fresh, and had no flags. He of course didn't want to tell anyone that he was in need of training.

As he got into the role, a whistle sounded and Preston huffed in with a express mixed train, with eighteen coaches and forty two wagons, all fitted with air and vacuum brakes.

The in training flagman waved Preston ahead to the next block. It seemed to be a long time, but soon, Peter came racing in with a train of vans for the Henry's train.

The new flagman waved him into the same section as Preston, believing that Preston had cleared section.

However, as Peter rounded a blind corner, he soon saw the tail lamp of Preston's train. The Cathedral's driver slammed the brakes hard on and slid along the line. Peter hadn't lost enough speed when he ploughed into the rear of Preston's train.

Due to the weight of Peter's train, the coaches, which were empty were turned into nothing more than mere flattened pieces of steel. The guard of Preston's train had jumped clear and watched as the brake-van and last several vans were turned into nothing more than broken wood and twisted metal.

Preston was startled by the violent jerk forward. Once everything died away, his driver turned around to see the rear of the train. Instead of seeing a brake-van or the guard, Peter's front was sticking out from behind the eighteenth open wagon, full of scrap.

"What in the name of sunlight and tail lamps?" his driver demanded, scratching her head.

"Sorry," Peter whimpered, in pain. "the relief flagman said it was safe."

When the manager heard about the incident, he called the flagman who got drunk in and tore into him with the ferocity of several packs of wolves.

"It's your responsibility to make sure that you carry out your duty to the fullest extent and to make sure that any relief who takes over is actually prepared," he snapped.

The Flagman gulped and promised to make sure he never made another mistake.

"You'd better, unlike the last flagman at that spot," the manager thundered.

But that's another story


	3. The Flagman

The Flagman

Many of the other engines found the whole incident rather funny.

"How can anyone be so daft as to accept verbal commands from a flagless man?" Karmille laughed.

Ferdinand glared at the LBSCR K class mogul in absolute disgust.

"You all need to grow up," he snarled. "It's 2014 and you've all practically been here many years. At least it wasn't as bad as in 1938, when a certain mogul who shall remain nameless, but her initial is Karmille, wasn't paying attention when shunting some wagons and ran down a flagman trying to warn her of a washout at the same area where the other engines collided."

That got the laughing engines to shut up. However, Maximilian, who had returned from a journey hadn't heard the story, nor any of the engines who had arrived between 1945 and 2012.

"What flagman?" she demanded.

"It's a long story," Ferdinand puffed. "But I must warn you, it's not a pleasant story and it doesn't have a happy ending. Hang on to your happiness and be prepared to cry."

The other engines were curious and while waiting for Ferdinand to collect his thoughts, they were looking around. At last, the old Climax's eyes opened up and he began.

_This was after Misty Island was handed over to Britain, for them to run for a number of years. Karmille had arrived and was a very reckless mogul indeed. She always took risks and they often ended in disaster. One stormy night, she was ordered to take a train of wagons, but due to the turntable at Vicarstown Harbour being under repair after a loaned tank engine shoved several coaches into the turntable pit._

"Why couldn't they have another turntable in readiness," _Karmille demanded._

"Because the railway doesn't have the necessary funds to make a turntable," _her driver replied._

_She hated shunting her trains, as most engines do, because it blocks not only the engine's view, but the crew's view._

_By the time the guard had blown his whistle and given her crew the green flag, there was a torrential downpour, which obscured view even more. The rule is that crews and engines are not allowed to go above 35 mph. But on that night, she was doing fifty-five._

_At the station on the Vicarstown Harbour approach, the signals were dead and a flagman was there to direct the trains. Due to the pouring rain, no one could see his flags or even see him._

_Karmille was not paying any attention to her driver's controls and as they came into the station, they hadn't noticed that the flagman was leaning over to inspect a rail. The buffer nearest the platform made contact with his head and he was killed instantly. While it was an accident, it was caused by someone not taking care._

_Fifteen years after his death, another engine and it's crew were brought to a stop when they saw a flag. They then said that they saw a man walk towards them saying that there was a damaged rail and they had to wait. He then disappeared into the slowly rising mist._

"And to this day, his ghost still stands at the station, ready to protect any train from danger," Ferdinand finished.

"Pooh," scoffed Karmille. "That was good for a laugh and you know it."

"Then why was Zacharias shaking and saying something about the 'man who disappeared into the mist.'?" Dash challenged.

Karmille merely glared at the little tank engine before going out to take her train. The next morning, a thick fog settled in.

"Blimey," Davis squeaked. "What a pea soup!"

"Your not lying," June, the Q1 groaned. "With this blasted fog, we'll being going at snail's paces."

Karmille was grinning, as she knew that she was going to be on an express passenger service that connected with Gordon's at the Big Station of Tidmouth. When her driver arrived, she could see he was smiling even more broadly.

"We're on the pick up goods today," he said. "Shizuka is to take our express."

Karmille's face showed such dismay, that her driver couldn't contain his laughter! As the firelighter got her fire going, the mogul grumbled about pulling dirty goods wagons instead of clean and shining express coaches.

When she had sufficient pressure, she made her way to Tydsdale Terminus station, where Darren had marshaled her goods train. The train consisted of seven eight plank mineral wagons, four tar tankers, three 4 wheel container flatbeds, two well wagons, six lowmacs, two auto carrier flatbeds, five cattle wagons, eight milk tankers, fifteen cement wagons, and a SR Queen Mary brake-van.

"Trucks!" she snarled in disgust.

However, orders are order and she had to take the train. As she was coupled to the trucks, Sylvia puffed in with her morning commuter train and whistled to Karmille. The mixed traffic mogul begrudgingly returned the cheerful greeting before being signaled out of the station.

As she came to the same station, she could see something that looked to be a red flag. Her driver brought the train to a stop. A man emerged from the fog and told the driver that there was a broken down lorry on the level crossing and a bus full of children was stuck behind it, because the bus driver refused to wait behind the gates.

"Thanks mate," the driver said and turned to tell the fireman what was going on.

When he turned, the man disappeared. Karmille's crew ran onto the platform and scoured it thoroughly before concluding that the man was merely a figment of their imagination. However, the driver wasn't fully convinced. He'd shaken the man's hand and had thanked him.

When they finished their duties, Karmille and her crew were resting in Vicarstown Harbour sheds when the driver told one of the men about what he had witnessed. The men said he wasn't going mad, as it was the ghost of the flagman killed that rainy night.


End file.
